This is the Next Time, ALT Ending
by pdljmpr6
Summary: So...what if Remy hadn't died in that tragic building collapse? Remy/Ronon, cuz the girl who turned Ronon's world upside down just had to come back for more. RononOC


**A/N: **Everyone, including myself, was a little upset about the ending I wrote for 'This is the Next time' and since I came so close to ending it differently, I decided to take one reviewer's advice and write an ALT ending. Now I can't help but think that THIS is the kind of ending Ronon deserves. Enjoy! -pj

**A/N:** This picks up at the end of the second to last chapter of 'Next Time'. There will be several similarities to this and the last chap of the other fic, this is on purpose to show how, no matter what timeline you're in, some things don't change.

**Disclaimer**: I'm not signing the paychecks...If I were, Micheal would have taken that knife and cut off Ronon's dreds with it...

_**Day One-Twenty-Seven**_

_"Close your eyes, Remy." _

After a moment his words seemed to register with her, "what?"

He licked his lips and looked down at her, "close your eyes."

Several emotions crossed her face then. Disbelief, pain, gratitude, anger, doubt, resolution.

"No," she said with more strength than he expected.

He stared at her for several moments and it took everything she had left, but she met his stare evenly.

"You're stuck with me," she said finally, pursing her lips and willing herself not to wince as another wave of pain rocketed through her.

Ronon wasn't sure whether to argue or not, but something told him it wouldn't do any good anyway, so he didn't. He really didn't want to. Instead he nodded, pursed his lips and squeezed her hip.

He looked up when he heard voices, movement from above and watched as the tiny dot of light overhead grew larger.

And then a rather familiar shaped head moved into the opening, an even more familiar voice calling down to them.

"Hang on guys, we're almost there," Shepperd told them.

Ronon nodded and looked back down at Remy, she had her eyes squeezed shut tight, against both pain and light, but she was still breathing. Her heartbeat still strong against his fingertips.

"They're coming," he told her quietly, squeezing her hand where their fingers had somehow become laced together.

She bit her lip and inhaled sharply, "tell them…to hurry…their asses up."

Ronon grinned and relayed the message.

---

**_Day One-Thirty_**

Sheppard heard quiet voices and whispered laughter as he approached the back of the infirmary, the section reserved for patients considered to be in 'serious' condition.

He shook his head when he heard a gasp of pain immediately follow the laughter and pushed aside the curtain. Ronon was standing beside Remy's bedside looking worried, she was staying his worry with a calm hand on his arm.

"I'm _fine_ Ronon," she said, stressing the word as if that would convince him, "and if you wouldn't make that face I wouldn't have this problem."

He nodded a greeting at the two and waved off Remy's attempt to salute. He stepped up to the foot of the bed as Ronon sat back down in his chair, both their attention turning to him when he crossed his arms over his chest.

"How are you feeling, Remy?"

Remy shrugged one shoulder, "like a building collapsed on me."

Sheppard nodded and glanced at Ronon, then Remy and then back at Ronon. He took a deep breath and straightened.

"You're not just here to see how I'm doing, are you sir?" She asked quietly, noticing his fidgeting.

John answered by turning to the other man in the room. "Ronon, could you excuse us? For a sec?"

Ronon's brow furrowed as he looked between them several times. Sheppard had that look, his 'Important Military Business to Attend To' look. He started to stand up.

"Actually sir, if it's all the same to you, I'd like him to stay," Remy didn't really want Ronon to be witness to what was sure to be a thorough undressing for her behavior before, but she just wasn't quite ready to let Ronon out of her sight yet.

The Colonel considered for a moment and then nodded shortly and Ronon sat back down, leaning back in his chair he propped his right ankle up on his left knee.

Sheppard took another deep breath, "You disobeyed a direct order, Leut." He began without preamble.

Remy straightened minutely in the bed and nodded once, "Yes sir."

John noted that she didn't exactly seem remorseful in that fact, probably because she'd saved so many other's by doing it. But the fact was the same.

"And in so doing you put yourself and a member of my team in serious danger."

Again, a nod, although her confidence was faltering. "Yes sir."

He paused and sighed, his voice dropping a bit of the drill sergeant edge, "I'm afraid I can't let that kind of insubordination stand," he glanced quickly at Ronon, who suddenly seemed tense. Remy's mouth went dry.

"You're going back to Earth with our next gate dial."

Remy felt her eyes start to burn and her voice disappeared. "Yes sir," she barely squeaked out.

Sheppard remained stiff as he continued, "and when you're fully recovered, finished with your PT and have completed an _extensive_ psych eval…you're coming back."

Her eyes snapped up from the blanket. She didn't respond, afraid to believe she'd heard right.

Sheppard's face finally softened and the corner of his mouth kicked up, "You're a damn good pilot, Remy. I couldn't stand the thought of all that talent being wasted on some Earth base," he shrugged in a very nonCO-like manner, "that and Ronon here seems to like you."

She flashed a quick grin at Ronon, who'd relaxed again and was watching them both carefully.

"_But_," he caught Remy's attention and went serious, "if you ever pull a stunt like that again-"

"I won't sir," she cut him off earnestly.

Sheppard narrowed his eyes. He couldn't exactly say he knew Remy well, just…well enough.

"You can't promise that."

Remy bit her lip and paused thoughtfully. "I can promise to try."

Sheppard regarded her for several moments and then nodded, relaxing fully.

"I'll take it."

---

Remy's small curtained room was getting full. The three other members of her team had stopped by to see how she was, teasing her good-naturedly about liking all the extra attention caused by near-death experiences. Ronon and Teyla were there as well, sitting side-by-side to her left.

Every now and then she'd catch Ronon watching her out of the corner of her eye and would feel a stab of guilt in her chest. She barely knew the half of what he'd been through, what he'd lost, but she knew the thought of losing her too must have terrified him. She hoped she could someday forgive herself for causing him that pain.

Suddenly the curtains were parted and Scooter blew in, dressed in muddy BDUs and sporting a bandage above his left eyebrow. Ignoring everyone, he crossed the room in two steps and leaned down to hug her as best he could without disturbing her obvious injury.

"You okay?" He whispered, his eyes shut tight.

Remy gripped him with one arm and nodded, "Fine, Scooter."

"You ever something stupid like that again and I'll kill you myself."

Remy glanced over his shoulder at Ronon and Teyla and her Team Leader.

"I have a feeling you'll have to get in line."

"Gladly," he told her, and she was a bit taken aback by the sharpness of his tone.

"Scoot…" she began.

"Don't 'Scoot' me," he shook his head in disbelief, "what would I have told Meg? Carely?"

Remy shrugged, "that one of my 'cockamamie ideas' finally got me killed just like they always said it would," she said, half-laughing.

"_Dammit_ Remy," Scooter snapped, straightening fully away from the bed and running a hand through his hair, "You're always doing this, going off half-cocked and not looking where you're headed. But it wasn't just a speeding ticket this time. It wasn't a night in county jail or a scar with a cool story, Remy. You were _this_ close to dead this time," he held his fingers a hairs-width apart and stared at her, his face red with intensity.

"Scooter I…"

But Scooter wasn't finished. "You like to think you're alone in this, that there's nobody in this galaxy or any other who cares whether you live or die, Remy but you're wrong. There _are_ people," he flung his hand around behind him and Remy met eyes briefly with her other visitors, "and _we_ all care a hell of a lot."

Scooter stepped back and took a deep breath. He looked around, as if noticing for the first time that there were other people in the room, and noticed the wary look Ronon was giving him and Teyla's raised eyebrow.

He forced himself to take a deep breath and looked at Remy apologetically, "I didn't mean to yell I just…"he shook his head, "You're like a sister to me, Ace. I don't want to see anything happen to you."

Remy smiled softly and nodded, unconsciously reaching for Ronon's hand and entwining hers with it on the bed beside her leg.

"Believe me Soot, I don't either."

---

**_Day One Thirty-Nine_**

Keller managed to convince the IOA that Remy absolutely _needed _to be on Atlantis for the majority of her physical recovery time, which took decidedly less time than some would have liked due to the advanced tech at their disposal.

But once she was almost completely recovered, save some lingering soreness and muscle fatigue, Keller was all but ordered to return Remy to earth ASAP.

And that day had finally come.

Remy glanced to her right at Ronon for the third time in as many minutes. If he were wound any tighter he'd turn himself inside out.

She subtly reached over to touch his arm. His head snapped in her direction so fast it could have given him whiplash.

_Relax_, she mouthed to him with a small smile.

Ronon merely nodded and returned to his brooding contemplation of the inactive gate.

With a sigh, Remy bit her lip and glanced around. Up above she saw the Colonel, Woolsey and Keller were still talking animatedly in Woolsey's office, so that probably gave her a few more minutes.

She reached out again and this time took Ronon's hand. Quickly lacing their fingers, she pulled him over into the shadows beneath the stairs. Ronon followed, confused though he was but trusting her. Remy halted abruptly when they were out of eyesight and, placing her hands on either side of Ronon's face, she pulled him down to kiss her.

When the need for air became great they separated. She let her hands tangle lazily in his hair and smiled at him, "Okay, now tell me what's wrong?"

Ronon's hand tightened on her hips.

"Earth is far away." He said simply.

Remy swallowed and nodded, her gaze dropping from his face to the hollow of his throat, her black fingernails drumming out a rhythm against his shoulders.

"I know. But you remember what I taught you about email and video messaging, right?" she looked up at him hopefully and he nodded, "and I'll only be gone three, four months tops," another nod, "And you're going to come with Sheppard to visit when he goes on Shore Leave next month."

They'd, of course, been over all this night before after saying 'goodbye' the only way they knew how and were lying skin on skin afterward.

But Remy didn't mind repeating herself, she needed to be reassured just as much as he did.

"It's just…" he trailed off.

Remy nodded, "far."

She looked around for a few moments, fighting tears she didn't want to admit were there at all, before a thought finally occurred to her.

After making sure Ronon's hands were going to keep her steady on legs that, she'd found of late, she couldn't always depend on, she reached up to her neck and grasped a leather cord. When she pulled it out of from underneath her shirt and over her head, Ronon could see it was a necklace, a silver 'fighter jet' charm hanging from the middle.

"This is my favorite thing in the whole world," she told him seriously, her eyes smiling, "I will always come back for this necklace," she reached up to slip it over his head, the small pendent hanging below his collarbone off to the side from his heart, "and the one who wears it."

Ronon looked at her and Remy could have sworn his eyes had lightened some, the corners of his mouth nearly smiling. She held onto his shoulders as he reached into his pocket.

"I used to wear this on my dreds," he told her quietly, his eyes never leaving hers. She looked down and saw him holding a silver ring, inlayed with purple and blue jewels, "it was my mother's." He took one hand and slipped it onto the only finger it would fit. She almost laughed when she realized the one he'd chosen. The most important one.

"Everything you just said about your necklace…same."

Remy smiled fully, all traces of the tears she'd been fighting were gone. She kissed him again but broke off, too soon in Ronon's opinion, when both their ears perked up to the sound of chevrons being locked into place.

Remy took a deep breath as Ronon reluctantly pulled her from the shadows. She squeezed the hand that was locked with hers.

"I guess this is it."

---

**_Day Two-Forty-Eight_**

Smiles and glances were exchanged, quiet conversations held. Fingers fidgeted and weight shifted as watches were checked continuously.

"They're late."

"They'll be here."

More fidgeting. More glancing.

And then finally, after what felt like an eternity, Chuck said the words they were all waiting to hear.

"Atlantis is standing by."

Teh small group all turned to watch the same spot on the gate room floor as a figure appeared in the slow shimmer and glow of a transporter beam.

Remy stood with her hands on her hips, her bag dropped carelessly at her feet, a grin on her face so wide her cheeks would likely hurt for days.

"So, didja miss me?" she asked cheekily.

Scooter immediately stepped forward to wrap his friend in a hug, muttering 'smart alec' and 'Pegasus wasn't the same without you'. Teyla immediately followed, hugging the girl warmly with a promise to visit with Torren later. When Remy turned to salute the Colonel, she was surprised when he returned the gesture formally, and then with a lopsided grin, told her he was happy to have her back on base. Remy nodded a greeting to Rodney, Lorne, Keller and Cadman and, while she was flattered at the warm welcome, she was somewhat distracted by the obvious absence of one important individual.

"Lose something?"

Remy whipped around so fast her ponytail, now several inches longer, nearly hit her in the face. Her grin fought to reclaim her face but she suppressed it. Instead she crossed her arms and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Nothing I can think of."

Ronon cocked an eyebrow, "really?"

Remy nodded, "really."

His gaze still teasing, Ronon shrugged in return and turned to leave the gate room, "then I guess I'll leave."

"One more step and I'll stun you with your own gun."

Ronon froze and smiled. Her voice was coming from directly behind him, and when he turned, he saw she'd removed his blaster from his hip, dangling it casualy from her index finger off to one side.

"Give it back," he said, stepping forward so they were nearly chest to chest.

"You gonna make me?" Remy asked challengingly, not giving an inch as she stared up at him.

Ronon nodded, "hell yes."

Then he leaned down, placing his arms around her middle, he captured her lips with his. Remy reached up and threaded her arms around his neck as if it were the most natural thing in the world, only half paying attention as she dropped his gun back into it's rightful place on his hip. Ronon straightened, so as to lift Remy's small body off the floor. In the same moment, she wrapped her legs around his waist, giving herself leverage to deepen the kiss, not caring one iota that they were standing in the middle of the control room with dozens of eyes on them.

_Let 'em look. _She thought defiantly_, I'm finally back where I belong and I intend to celebrate.  
_

As it turned out, Remy wasn't the only one who felt like celebrating. Almost immediately whistles and jeers rang out from around the room, along with shouts and applause.

When the noise registered with her, Remy's body shook as the giggles bubbled forth and finally, when she could hold it back no longer, she tipped her head back and laughed.

Ronon couldn't help himself.

He joined her.

END


End file.
